Top 10 scariest video games

A favourite among many FPS horror fans, we have to confess to some rather cool feelings towards John Carmack's sci-fi shooter. While it featured the usual fantastic staples which built id Software's deserved reputation as a revered FPS developer – visceral combat, hideous monsters and satisfying levels of violence – it also contained one game aspect that annoyed us, even though it proved to be a decent horror device. Trapped in the dimly lit corridors of a space station, players were only allowed to use their gun or torch – never both at the same time. This sustained the tension throughout the game, but there were times where the inability to see further down the corridor than the flickering lights in the ceiling would allow without lowering your weapon seemed a bit of a cheat. Of course, no one can deny the effectiveness of this gameplay mechanic, and whether you felt hoodwinked or not, Doom 3 provided as many scares as it did run and gun battles. For those who've never played a Carmack-produced game, that's a lot!

9. Siren/Forbidden Siren

Set in a remote mountain village in the aftermath of an occult ritual gone horribly wrong, Siren thrust players into an environment populated by shuffling undead hungry for their blood.